A Simple Christian

This Place is Wonderful but….
Luke 21:5-28

 † I.H.S. †

May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ strengthen your faith, and help you endure until we get to our final destination.

Wow…. Look at all this!

I think I understand the disciples, and their awe standing in the midst of the Temple, the place they went, because God had put His name there.

When I walk around this place, there are memories and feelings that will always come to mind. The disciples had to show Jesus the stonework and the memorials, in awe of what God had done there, what He revealed here.  And though this church is not as impressive as Herod’s Temple, there are precious memories of God at work in His people here.

Memories of tears shed together, memories of laughter, some memories that combine the two in a twisted dance.

I cannot imagine Jesus walking with us here, and saying, “⁶ “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”

I wouldn’t want to hear it, I can’t imagine this altar rail here, or the baptismal font gone, or even the pulpit I hide behind, as I play my guitar as we sing. 

For just as the disciples looked at the Temple as the place, the place they could meet God, so too I can’t but see faces, present and past, as they met God in this place.

And so I understand their reaction of shock, as Jesus spoke… this place will be completely demolished..

When is it coming?  Uhm?

The disciples begin to recover from the words of Jesus, and then they make it worse, they ask, when is this coming?  What do we look for?

I wonder if they want to make sure they aren’t there, or what?

You see, the temple had been looted and destroyed before. Because of sin, it had been destroyed and abandoned.  I can’t imagine this happening to this place, but even so, there will be a day when this place doesn’t matter anymore.

Jesus looks at them, and knowing their hearts, it must have broken His to reveal what has to happen before the end comes..

Even so, He will answer them honestly and scare the heck out of them. He’s going to tell them about false prophets, wars, earthquakes, famine, plagues, terrifying moments, miracles, persecution, people charging you with false crimes and dragging you into court, betrayal by family members, and just about everyone hating you! All sorts of lovely things! 

Sounds like a normal week around here?

Seriously, all he is saying is between that time and the time when temples and churches will have fulfilled their role, life is going to be rough,  It is going to be impacted by the sins of billions of people, those in the past, and those presently alive.  Jesus tells the twelve that people will kill “some” of us! Paul describes this as the earth groaning under as if in childbirth! 

In the midst of the list there are a number other things,

Did you catch the part about miraculous signs from heaven?  Even more importantly, did you catch two very important words to hear…

DON”T PANIC!!!

In the midst of the grief, the pain, the anxiety as we hear about all these horrid things, and we see them happening, DON’T PANIC!

I don’t know about you, but when someone tells me there is nothing to panic over… I immediately look around to see what should cause me to panic!  Heck, if certain people were to tell me that, I would assume that panic is and underestimation of how I should react!

Why should I panic if God reminds me that there will be a day when this place is not longer here?  I can tell you why.  I look around and see what God has done.  I see the communion rail, and think of the kids that would not leave it, including a 50 year old named Chris, because this is where they experienced Jesus presence.  I think about the back seat, back by the sound board and I think of Warren giving me a thumbs up, Or Mando, Or Clyde, or the two original Concordia Deacons who challenged me to find something in this room that would show the gospel…

Churches and Temples matter because they are places where we regularly found God’s presence, and therefore could rest and find peace In these sanctuaries, in these places that are holy, because we know we encountered God here.

And though we know better, the concept of change, and even loss threw the disciples into a panic!

In the midst of the brokenness – look up… your Salvation is near!

What we have to remember, what we have to know, is that God isn’t tearing us away from what we love, to abandon us in the day of judgement. We aren’t going to stand there, wondering if we are going to heaven or hell. We don’t have to fear suffering His wrath, suffering and struggling more with sin and doubt. The ark of the covenant won’t be needed, as Jeremiah promised, neither will the font and the altar.

All these things are simply the shadows of the reality of Jesus.

That’s why he tells us “Don’t panic” and why angels say “don’t be afraid”, “don’t be anxious”

Jesus tells them why, just as He tells us, . ²⁷ Then everyone will see the Son of Man^* coming on a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

It is an interesting word, this word “salvation”. Not the usual word, but the word for destruction – specifically the destruction of all the constrains us, all that has bound us up, all that has stolen from us joy, all that has made life challenging. Everything is redeemed and restored.

We may lose the shadow – but we never lose our Lord!

There is our hope..

Don’t panic, don’t fear, look up and see your Lord, coming to set you free,

And until then, He keeps you safe… no matter what, and yours is the peace of God which passes all understanding.  AMEN!